


FitzSimmons from Skye's eyes

by Anytha



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Science Babies, fitzsimmons being adorable, skye trying to figure them out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-13
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-01-04 11:52:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1080691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anytha/pseuds/Anytha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Skye observes, studies and spies-er..secretly watches- Fitz and Simmons and tries to figure them out because they are not anything like the stereotype Government Agent that she had in mind.. EDITED.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Well, since the plot bunnies are attacking me viciously, I've decided to start a couple of series of one-shots. This is the first of a few. I'm warning you: this hiatus from the TV series is already taking a toll on me..
> 
> So.. I found out that I quite enjoy writing in Skye's POV. She's not exactly my favorite character but I do like her and find her extremely interesting to write: especially in descriptions. And her being very direct and sarcastic.. It intrigues me..
> 
> And so I thought: what would it be like to see FitzSimmons from Skye's eyes? From the beginning, Pilot episode to..wherever I'll go. I'll write some stuff coming from some random head canon I have and also insert episode material..
> 
> I'm experimenting here, guys. Please tell me what you think about it..
> 
> P.S: This story has been re-edited. Thanks to StarryDreamer01 who has become my wonderful Beta. :)

* * *

She didn't really think that this would have happened.

 

Joining Rising Tide was a necessity. Hacking systems, finding information and leaking info was _totally_ her thing. Finding Mike Peterson was an exciting bonus.

Getting caught by two men in black suits who cuffed her and literally dragged her blindfolded into their secret headquarter (a _freaking_ plane) wasn't something she expected.

Seeing Boss-Man-in-Suit inject a truth serum into Robot-Man-in-Suit _wasn't_ something she expected. Although getting to interrogate the Robot had been fun (even though she didn't get any information about S.H.I.E.L.D).

What she didn't expect was to be asked to help. S.H.I.E.L.D was asking for her help? _Her?_ An hacktivist of Rising Tide? But the Boss-Man-in-Suit, or she should call him Agent Coulson, told her to stay and help them save Mike who, she realized was in danger because she exposed him to the world. And now the guy was snapping.

Now, she felt guilty...and she decided to help. They needed to help him.  
  


So she found herself in their meeting room, a _really cool_ , high tech computer screened meeting room where she immediately came across another agent (May, Coulson introduced her while she just stared at her, scaring the hell out of her..) that was totally in line with her idea of government agents: black suit, serious, 'I'm not even believing a word you're saying'-attitude. 

Coulson was slightly better than them but he could be acting, for all she knew. So she stayed in a corner of the room, looking around, trying to get a better view of the plane and trying to figure out how the table worked as a large tablet-like computer.

 

And then _they_ came in.

 

She just stared because they looked so out of place. Even more than her.

A man and a woman. Dressed simply and..well, quite like nerds: there wasn't really any other way to put it. The tie, shirt and sweater of the guy and the blazer and blouse of the girl were too... too out of place. Besides they were too young. Seriously, they had to be younger than her by the looks.

What were they? 22-23?

What the hell were they even doing in here?

 

It was Coulson that gave her an explanation. Without knowing it.

 

“Skye, meet FitzSimmons, our team scientists.”

 

Scientists. Well, that explained the nerdiness...

 

“Er..yeah.. Hi,” She said slowly, realizing that Coulson had said one name. Which one was who now?

The girl seemed to notice her impasse because she smiled broadly (it was borderline beaming actually..) and pointed to the guy.

“Fitz,” she said, her accent showing her English origins. The guy, Fitz, pointed back to her.

“Simmons,” he said, his accent was thicker. Scottish she presumed. “I'm engineering. She's biochem.”

“Oh..” She replied, shaking their hands and smiling in a way she hoped was convincing. Was it normal that they were referred to as one person..and that they introduced each other?

 

Were the two scientists... also agents?

 

What the hell?

 

This was her first encounter with FitzSimmons.

 

She didn't have the slightest idea that this was going to be a hell of a ride...


	2. First Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are so amazing! The response to this new story has been great.. I'm glad you like how it started and hope you'll like it as it goes on.
> 
> Drop a comment to tell me what you think about this chapter: I love to talk with you and reading what you think makes my day (and makes me smile rather stupidly..).
> 
> Off we go!
> 
> P.S: This story has been re-edited. Thanks to StarryDreamer01 who has become my wonderful Beta. :)

* * *

She couldn't shake the question off her mind.ù

 

Were these two _agents_?  
  


She looked at them as they settled into the meeting room while she was sitting down on a chair in a corner after having handed over the driver’s license she took from Mike Peterson.

They were both pouring over the information appearing on the tablet -like table. The _very_ cool tablet-like-table that allowed windows with information of Mike Peterson to appear on it's whole length after his license ID was scanned. _Scanned_ on the moment. Just who invented this thing??

She tried to curb her inner enthusiasm and watched the odd pair: they were standing close to each other, opposite Agent May. Fitz and Simmons didn't even blink an eye as the dozen of windows appeared and located themselves on their own. They must have seen this stuff countless times..

Coulson briefed the two scientists, Scary Woman and herself with all the info about Mike. Hearing his story and understanding that the guy just went through a bad moment that then snowballed into a whole series of bad events, made her guilty and angry all together.

She got up and started pacing through the room, vaguely listening to Coulson's words and watching: the others' expressions, the room, the outside of the room..

She refocused only when he addressed the scientist, Fitz, about the footage of the security cameras before the blast.

This got her attention.

'How did they even get a footage after that hell of a blast??' She wondered, standing near May. Not too near though.

Fitz straightened and tapped a screen on the table and an image appeared on the monitor in front of her. Seriously, the _whole table_ was touch screen? 

'Focus, Skye...' She told herself and looked at the image. It was grainy and not that clear: it showed two men, one clearly mad.

“What are we seeing?” May asked, voicing her thoughts.

“Well, the man is angry..” Fitz said slowly, “..at the other man.”

She stared at him. As did Coulson and May.

 

Seriously??

What the hell was this SHIELD-nerd thinking? She could have come up with the same information using her plain laptop and without any qualifications or anything..!

 

“The data is very corrupt,” Simmons explained. She was defending Fitz, she realized, probably noticing the not-too-subtle stares.

“Yeah, like cold war Russia corrupt,” Fitz remarked, scoffing. 

“Yeah..”Simmons nodded in agreement. 

“I can't sync the time code-”

She decided to pitch in and help these sort of lost scientists/agents.

“What if you had the audio?” She asked.

Fitz and Simmons's heads whipped around. Coulson and May turned to her as well.

Feeling slightly nervous for all the attention, she explained about the digital files in her van, taken before the blast.

“There's too much background noise but you could probably-” She tried not to seem too doubtful but Simmons cut through her sentence.

“You can take care of that, can't you?” She asked Fitz who looked thoughtful as she started speaking in some language that _was_ English to her ears (and with their accents, it was full UK English..) but whatever words she heard didn't make _any_ sense to her brain. 

Fitz wasn't having her problems because he retorted about something in the same language and the two started to discuss quietly between them. 

Okaay... so maybe these two were some serious, brainy scientists after all..

She stared, unsure of what they were saying and how they even _understood_ each other. She stole a glance at May, who was staring at the two scientists like she did and then at Coulson who just looked at them with a patient, mildly amused look. She had the feeling that this wasn't the first time he watched a scene like this.

“Brilliant!” Fitz exclaimed, brightening at something Simmons had said and she smiled at him. Both turned towards her.

“That audio would be great. Thank you very, very much,” Fitz said.

“We will take the audio, please.” Simmons said at the same moment, smiling broadly. Did she always smile like that..?

She blinked, nodding slowly with a weak smile, unsure on how to react to these two. Them being so... in-sync was startling.

When Coulson told her that they had found her files but couldn't open them, she told him about the GPS encryption and stole a glance at Fitz and Simmons who looked impressed.

She couldn't fight the rush of pride and just talked her way out of the plane, telling to let her to the van and get the files.

Maybe this would allow her to leave -escape- from here and maybe get to help Mike.

But her plans were thwarted when Coulson said that Agent May would escort her.

 

Hell...

 

-:- 

“Audio file should be coming soon. It's not compressed: it might take a minute,” she said, clicking on the send button from her laptop. Being in her van again was just..good. If only Agent May was standing in front of it's open door, it would be better..

She heard a rustling noise and then Fitz's muffled voice.

“Yeah..Yeah, yeah, yeah..I'm getting it,” she heard typing noise. “So..” His voice was clearer now.

So..when you get back, I'll show you my thing. Ah..thing. It's not- My hardware. My equipment!”

She arched a brow at the phone.

“Let's hang up..” Fitz's voice dropped to a pained whisper and the communication dropped as well.

She stared at her phone for a second and then put it away.

 

Great.. Nerd-SHIELD-Guy was trying to hit on her...

 

-:-

 

This wasn't what she wanted.

None of this.

 

She was standing here behind Coulson as he talked to Mike, trying to calm him down but the guy was totally out of it. He was losing it...

She saw May standing behind her and a part of her was actually glad to see her in one piece after Mike had slammed her against a wall before kidnapping her.

The other part was wondering if the man May had beat the crap out of was still in one piece when she saved her.

The station was crowded and people were gathering around them, away from Mike who was hitting 

and breaking anything around him.

Coulson dropped his gun and approached Mike, talking to him. Getting him to calm down.

And he actually succeeded.

The SHIELD agent wasn't that bad after all. He cared for the people around him, even this complete stranger. He did look as though he cared for her as well..

Maybe not all men in dark suits were scary...

 

And then Mike dropped to the ground.

Shot.

 

Her mind just went blank for a moment, hardly grasping what just happened.

Then it was a jumble of thoughts.

Mike had been shot. By whom? SHIELD or the other group?

If it was SHIELD... Had Coulson been playing along just to buy some time..?

Her brain was overcome by thoughts, doubts.. and then she thought of Ace. Ace who wouldn't have a father anymore.

Ace would be an orphan like her.

'No,no..' She wasn't going there now.. 'No-'

 

A blur ran past her.

 

_'Simmons?'_

 

The girl ran past Coulson and crouched down next to Mike. She saw her checking him and then turned her head around to look at them. Her face was strangely sombre but then broke into a smile, relief clear in her eyes.

She let out a sigh of relief and saw May calling other agents. Way behind her, she caught a glimpse of Ward, carrying a gun, and of Fitz who was giving her a thumbs-up.

No, wait.. not her. She turned to look behind her and saw Simmons, standing up and smiling at him.

She couldn't help but smile slightly herself: Mike was alive and these SHIELD agents had saved him.

 

When Ward and Fitz had gotten to them and Mike was being hauled away by the other agents. Coulson turned to the two scientists.

“Seems that you found the third option,” he remarked and smiled. “Good job, FitzSimmons.”

“Thank you, sir,” they replied as one, sharing a smile.

She stared at them.

They were odd..but they had just saved a man from hurting himself and many others.

 

These nerd-scientists weren't that bad...


	3. First Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your feedback...:)
> 
> This story had turned into some sort of back-burner project. I'll get to it when I'm inspired but I'm taking my time..  
> I noticed that it hasn't received that much of feedback so I should give more time to other stories..
> 
> Anyway, here we go..!
> 
> Thanks to my Beta StarryDreamer01 who helped me edit this.

* * *

'Whatever am I doing _here_?'

 

It wasn't the first time that she asked this to herself. She lost count after the fifth time this morning..

 

She was in _freaking_ Peru in front of a _freaking_ Incas/Mayan/whatever pyramid. And this morning she was in the States.

This morning she abandoned her van to board an enormous SHIELD plane. The same plane where she had been taken as an arrested criminal yesterday..

But whatever..

 

The Team had been called to investigate an 0-8-4: object of unknown origins. Coulson had mentioned that the last 0-8-4 had been Thor's hammer.

Well, that gave her an idea that whatever they were going to investigate wasn't something she might have seen somewhere.

It might be from another planet in the best of possibilities.

 

She got out of the SUV trailing Coulson who blatantly told her that her role in the Team at the moment was just to create a diversion, Internet-wise, if any news of the 0-8-4 leaked.

Great... basically all that she was against.

 

She glumly looked at the pyramid, musing about Coulson's words as he went up to speak with a man she supposed was the archaeologist in charge when she caught a glimpse of the two scientists.

FitzSimmons.

Taking a selfie in front of the pyramid.

 

Seriously?

 

She still had to figure out this Team. Coulson was the leader and trusted her for God-knows-which reason. Ward did not trust her and kept her at distance. May was...well... May hadn't talked to her since she had gotten on the plane. She hadn't even looked at her now that she thought about it.

And there was FitzSimmons.

Who had greeted her as though she was the most welcome person and had shown her around the plane, taken her stuff to her room and been, all in all, completely friendly with her.

If she hadn't been so bewildered by their attitude, she would have been touched. All her life, she had never seen anyone really happy to see her or so welcoming to their home.

If she could call a plane a house, that is.

 

Anyway...

 

The 0-8-4 turned out to be some machine stuck to the inner chamber of the pyramid. She barely had the time to take out her phone and do some image research of the..thing when she heard a whirring sound behind her.

She turned around and found herself staring at a tiny, flying...thing? Robot? She stepped back and noticed that there were two of them in air and others in the case Fitz had been carrying.

Simmons was holding some sort of control tablet in her hands and she saw that her partner was tapping on one too.

The first little robot hovered over to the archaeologist who just stared at it, looking surprised(or scared, Skye really couldn't say). She had the funny feeling that the robot was actually studying the man.

 

“Leave the man alone.”

 

The robot hovered away and Skye turned around to Simmons who smiled apologetically at the archaeologist, looking and sounding like a mother who had just scolded her annoying little child.

  
  


Skye blinked and turned around to the 0-8-4.

  
  


Okaay... The nerd scientists were getting weirder every minute.

  
  


Coulson left after getting a call from Ward about having a situation. It had to be some SHIELD lingo for -We have a problem.

She tapped on her own, trying to find information about the machine in front of her while FitzSimmons worked behind her.

The little robots started hovering around the chamber, blue  lights coming out of them as -she realised- they examined the room and the 0-8-4. She saw FitzSimmons tap on their tablets' screens and talk to each other in that infuriatingly complicated way of theirs.

The only thing she understood was that the 0-8-4 was alive (somehow) and dangerous (well, figures..).

She tried to make her useful and talk to them but the sound of gunfire stopped her.

 

Hell...

  
  


-:-

 

Oh, she _definitely_ missed her van.

Being nearly shot by Peruvian rebels, escaping in a van with a possible worse-than-nuclear machine and ending up flying in a plane with said machine and a lot of people yelling at each other, really made her wonder what the hell she was thinking of joining this team.

Coulson entered the lab right after Fitz had made a rather snappy (and accurate, she had to admit) comment to Ward about managing to string three words in a sentence.

 

She didn't think the Scottish scientist even had that much sass in him.

 

“Do we have a problem in here?” Coulson asked, managing to quiet Ward and Fitz yelling at each other before even talking.

The man had charisma, that was sure.

“No, sir,” Ward replied and she stared at him _What??_

“Just working on our communication.” The man glanced at Fitz and then Simmons. “Not everyone was prepared for fire fight.”

From her position in the center, she clearly saw Simmons roll her eyes.

“We got out, didn't lose anyone, saved a few of theirs. I'd say we did alright,” Coulson stated, sounding calm and sure. He seriously looked as though things were going well. “Anything else?”

Skye raised her hand before she could even think about it.

The whole lab turned to her.

“Er-yeah...” She said. “I have a small question because I've been feeling like the tag-along rookie but now I've get to sense that Ward doesn't know which one's Simmons and which one's Fitz and they've seen less gunfire than me -and I'm no rocket scientist- but is this your first mission together?”

“No,” Simmons replied softly from her corner. “Of course not. It's our second.” The biochemist looked proud of this too.

 

Oh, great... She felt _loads_ better now.

 

“I was your first?” She deadpanned. “Sweet...” Whatever the hell was she doing here again?

“You're amused?” Ward asked her with his You're-not-wanted-here-voice. Skye was fed up now.

“I'm _terrified_ ,” She corrected him loudly. “I- I mean..I've been way over my head and I've been on this team just as long as any of you. I might as well as be team captain.”

She saw Simmons scoff and look away. Ward looked as though he had eaten something sour and Fitz stared at the other man, playing with the gun-like tool in his hands.

And Coulson stared at her.

 

Ok... That was too much maybe..

 

“I was joking...” She explained. “But maybe that's not a bad idea because these guys do _not_ like each other much.”

“This isn't about that,” Ward gritted out. “I'm a specialist.” He turned to Coulson as he said this as though proving some point. “Today I could have eliminated the enemy threat myself if I was working alone-”

Skye stared at Ward wondering if they were talking about the same threat because she didn't know how he worked but there was no way that one person could have dealt with all those rebels.

She saw Simmons roll her eyes again and walk over towards them. Seeing the calm scientist's sudden business-like, battle-like attitude, made her decide to walk over to where Coulson was.

Maybe they wouldn't throw anything in his direction if they started fighting...

“-but I had non-combat agents-”

“Woah, woah, woah, wait!” Fitz cut in, glaring at him. “You work alone?!”

“So typical...” Simmons added, standing by Fitz's side and looking at Ward. “Who do you think _designed_ your equipment?” She gestured towards the space between her and Fitz.

 

Seriously? They did that?

 

“Or the polymers for your weaponry?” Fitz pointed to him and Simmons. “People like us do that.”

“Yeah, try going into the field with your sheer, bare bum!”

 

Wow, Simmons had more sass in her than she had _ever_ expected.

 

It seemed like another fight was going to occur... Skye leaned slightly towards Coulson.

“See that proving the point I just made..?” She asked.

“You're not wrong,” Coulson replied loudly, getting to silence the lab again. “We still have to iron out the kinks.” His gaze swept over the team, somehow wiping out the expressions of contempt and anger that had been there as he looked at each of them. “But Ward, you can speak six languages. Simmons, you have two PhDs in fields I can't pronounce and Fitz, you _are_ a rocket scientist.”

Skye blinked. Seriously?

She saw Simmons glance at Fitz as he looked at Coulson. It seemed as though they were getting scolded by a teacher.

“So work it out.” The team leader finished and left the lab.

There was a moment of silence.

“I'm- I'm good at stuff too!” Skye said loudly as the other three moved to work.

 

Geez..

 

-:-

So...first day at SHIELD and she almost gets shot by rebels, risks to fly out of a plane where a hole is blown by a gamma-nuclear weapon and she manages to shut said hole with an inflatable rescue boat.

 

Yeah... normal as hell...

 

The plane was being repaired and the team had just defended her in front of Coulson.

She swallowed dryly, ignoring the lump in her throat and the stab of guilt in her heart.

She had opted to blow a hole in the plane and follow some crazy plan that had made then capture the rebel team and save the 0-8-4.

But they had said that it had been teamwork. As in she was part of the team.

Team that she was double-crossing since she had just told Rising Tide that she was still with them.

 

But she needed answers. There was no time for guilt...

 

She walked over to FitzSimmons who were still sitting on the cargo ramp, sharing a bottle of beer. They were still talking about the missile that had just sent the 0-8-4 to the Sun and jabbering of numbers and calculations in such a complicated way that her head hurt only hearing them.

She watched them for a while, smiling slightly as they talked to each other with beaming smiles.

 

They had been scared just like her today.

The three of them had never been in war zones or faced gun fires.

And yet they pulled it up together.

They had been in charge of retrieving the 0-8-4 and they had worked as a team.

Simmons had held the 0-8-4 without even thinking that it was a deadly machine as she had in the lab the day before. Fitz had held the straps wound around their bodies, ready to help them whenever they called him.

They had been worried for her when she had unstrapped herself and had gone to retrieve the rescue boat.

She shouldn't be so touched by that...

 

“Guys...”

 

FitzSimmons looked up at her, turning as one. She was starting to get used to this completely in-sync moves.

She had talked with Ward and maybe, he wasn't going to be so hostile with her. She didn't want things to be awkward with them either.

“What I said in the lab... you know -of you having seen as much gunfire as I did..” She stumbled on her words a bit. “I didn't mean to...you know.. offend you or anything..”

“It's alright, Skye,” Simmons replied, smiling broadly. “It was true, actually.”

“Yeah, you didn't say anything that we didn't already know,” Fitz added, grinning. “I suppose that the three of us are the team's field rookies.”

Skye felt a smile make its way on her face.

These two were geniuses, had PhDs and built weapons that SHIELD used and yet, here they were telling her that they were on the same line.

Equals.

“Yeah...”

Really...she shouldn't be feeling so touched...

 

She sat down next to Simmons and watched the sunset.

“I've got to ask you this though...” She said, turning to them. “That small robot-thingies of yours. What exactly are they? I mean... They almost look alive...”

“The DWARFs?” Fitz asked.

“You called them Dwarfs?” She deadpanned him. “As in-”

“Drones Wirelessly Automated to Retrieve Forensics.

“Oh.” What was this thing that SHIELD had for acronyms..?

“They're quad-rotor robot, capable of scanning and cataloging information from a scene in minutes, covering everything from matter density to radiation levels to smell.”

“They're perfect when we have to get information on the field. There are seven of them and we-” Simmons's eyes widened and a hand flew to her mouth. She turned to Fitz. “Fitz, _Sneezy_!”

The engineer's eyes widened too.

“Oh, Bloody Hell...” He scrambled up to his feet and ran into the lab.

Simmons quickly got up too and was going to follow him but he was already out, carrying their tablets and the wide case that he had been carrying on their mission.

“Guys, what...?” Skye tried to ask but the two scientists were too busy talking to each other.

“How could we forget him?” Simmons said, her tone worried and flipping her tablet on, tapping furiously.

“Well, we were dealing with more pressing matters,” Fitz remarked, tapping away and making the six drones in the case to hover in air. “Staying alive, trying not to make the 0-8-4 fall on some unknown country and, _survive_.”

Simmons rolled her eyes.

“Are you sure that the reversal of his magnetic shielding has occurred correctly?”

“Yes, I reversed it myself after he sent the shock. I just have to locate him.”

Fitz jumped off the cargo ramp, the drones hovering around him as he tapped away.

“What's going on?” Skye asked, seeing that Simmons was tapping on her screen and looking at Fitz at the same time.

“Oh, Skye, sorry, we've been so rude to ignore you,” The biochemist said, looking up. Trust Simmons in being worried of being rude.

“No, don't worry,” She waved off the apology. “What's going on?”

“We forgot to retrieve Sneezy,” She replied. She must have noticed her blank expression because she quickly added, “The drone we used to activate the 0-8-4. He was shot out of the Bus once the hole was created. Fitz inverted his magnetic shield so that he would be heavier in air and connect with the plane's structure. If everything went well, he should be attached to some part of the plane. Poor thing...”

“Oh...” Skye looked at the other woman, seeing how she was fretting over the screen, tapping quickly. “Look, I don't know much of these drones...but wouldn't it be easier to just -I dunno- rebuild it?”

Simmons looked up at her and smiled wryly.

“Well, yes, it would be the quickest and easiest way but-” She looked at Fitz who was tapping on his screen and looking in air as the other drones flew around. “The Dwarfs were our first project together. We built each of them on our own, creating them from nothing during our days at the Academy...”

Skye noticed the soft look on Simmons' face and smiled slightly. She didn't know what the Academy was -probably some sort of school for SHIELD agents but she understood that those tiny robots weren't just machines for these nerd scientists.

They were memories and more.

“Found him!” Fitz yelled and Simmons literally jumped off the cargo ramp and ran to him in a second.

Skye watched as the two scientists stood close to each other, hovering over Fitz's tablet and looking up in the air.

Then Simmons beamed and ran forward as a drone literally wobbled into her outstretched hands. The other drones flew around her in small circles.

Really... seven Dwarfs drones and a girl..?

Skye looked at Fitz and saw the soft expression on his face as he watched his partner.

There was something there... She was sure of it.

She had noticed it before when one of Reyes' men had caught Simmons' strap and had been tugging on it to get the 0-8-4. And Fitz who had been scared to carry on the plan, who had been waiting by the corridor, not wanting to walk near the hole in the plane, suddenly launched himself forward, tugging on the straps himself and got to Simmons so that he could help her.

 

It could be friendship, yes... but it could be more, right?

 

She had to watch them better...


	4. The Asset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt a little bit cheated during the episode when they didn’t show FitzSimmons’ reaction to Dr. Hall being ‘dead’. I mean they spent most of the episode talking about him and how they knew him and loved him and then...nothing.  
> I like to imagine that this might have happened...  
> It’s short but I hope you like it… :)
> 
> Thanks to my Beta StarryDreamer01 who helped me edit this.

 

* * *

Skye tossed and turned in her bunk but sleep just didn't seem to come.

With a huff, she tossed her sheets away and sat up. Her mind was too alert, all the day's adrenaline still going through her despite her impromptu training session with Ward after dinner.

  
She’d had a gun pointed at her head.

She had jumped into a pool from the second floor.

She had been captured by Quinn's men and God knows what would have happened if Ward hadn't appeared.

 

She couldn't shake off the feeling of dread and raw fear when she ran over to him after he had fought with the men. She had been on the verge of hugging him but had stopped since he clearly didn't seem or want to give her any form of comfort. He told her to keep close and follow him and his orders.

But she was learning that this was how Ward was and that was the closest thing to comfort that he could give her.

 

Skye stood up and groaned when she saw that it was half past three in the morning. Maybe if she got herself a drink (water, juice, beer, alcohol.. _ whatever _ ...) might help her doze off.

She opened her door and padded out in the silent corridor towards the kitchenette. She wasn't used to see the Bus so dark and quiet...

She was heading to the lounge room when she heard voices. Slightly confused, she peered from the corner so that whoever was in there, didn't see her.

 

FitzSimmons.

 

Her eyes widened slightly as she saw them standing by the kitchenette's counter, hovering over a table. The only source of light came from the small light over the counter.

They were talking to each other softly and, Skye noticed, there was a bottle of beer next to both their sides.

She wondered what they were doing up this early in the morning...

They had been very relieved to see her, Coulson and Ward when they returned from Quinn's mansion. She was too shaken to actually thank them for their help but had smiled, hoping to convey everything in it.

As she watched the two scientists standing there together, shoulder pressed to shoulder and heads almost touching as they read something on the table, she wondered if she wasn't accidentally witnessing some sort of hidden date or something.

 

Those two were pretty close after all...

 

Her mind -suddenly forgetting about her darker thoughts- conjured theories of Fitz and Simmons meeting in secret all the time so that no one would know of their relationship.

She was tempted to go back to her room and get her phone to take some pictures when she noticed that they were both wearing the same clothes they had the night before.

She blinked. Did that mean that they hadn't even gone to bed yet?

 

What, had they been working in the lab until now?

 

She tried to remember if Coulson had given them any particular work to do.

No. Coulson just told them that they had worked well before disappearing in his office. She had caught a glimpse of the man's dark face and she had wondered what was going through his mind.

“ That was the last one, yeah?” Fitz asked, shifting slightly and looking at his partner.

“ Yes,” Simmons replied, swiping off the tablet with her finger. “It was his last article.”

Skye heard the sad hint in their voices, something that she had never heard before...

She stayed hidden behind the corner as Simmons straightened up, turning around so she was leaning onto the table now. Skye caught a glimpse of her face: the other woman's usual smiley face was sombre and her eyes looked so sad that it made Skye want to cry.

Fitz didn't look any better. He stayed crouched over the table, staring at some spot blindly. He sighed loudly and ran his fingers through his hair before cradling his head with both hands.

 

It felt wrong...

Seeing FitzSimmons so...distraught just felt wrong.

 

Simmons looked at her partner and slowly -almost looking afraid to scare him off- put a hand on his shoulder.

“ We couldn't do anything for him, Fitz,” She remarked, her voice soft. “We told Agent Coulson everything we knew to help him.”

“ I know,” Fitz replied, looking up at her. “I can't help but wonder why he did it though...”

 

Skye suddenly realised what was happening and felt the blood chill in her veins.

Of course...  
  


Professor Franklin Hall.

  
How had she forgotten?

Hadn't she gone into Quinn's mansion, hackering herself an invitation, after saying that FitzSimmons loved the guy?

 

“ I don't know, Fitz. He just did-”

“ -and now he's gone.”

 

The two scientists stayed in silence for a while. Skye was rooted to her spot, unable to move.

She felt a wave of guilt at the thought that they had been there. She had been there and yet the man had died.

 

“ Remember when he talked about his theories in class?” Simmons looked down at Fitz with a small smile on her face.

“ Yeah,” Fitz grinned slightly, standing straight. “He was always so enthusiastic... I think he was the one that actually got me to think and develop my ideas better...”

“ Yes, it was the same for me too. I remember talking to him after classes and he had so much passion for his work and studies: I felt bolstered to study harder and get to know more.”

“ He allowed us into the lab to experiment-”

“ -at night when only senior cadets or professors could use it.”

“ He laughed when we accidentally knocked down a few shelves testing the DWARFs,” Fitz laughed and Simmons joined him.

“ He was the only teacher that knew, from the start, that we worked well together,” Simmons stated, turning around so that she could look at Fitz. “He had us partnered together in all the labs and projects before we could ask.”

“ Yeah...” Fitz looked at her. “He was the first one to call us FitzSimmons.”

“ Yeah...”

  
  


Skye turned around: she had to leave. This wasn't right: she shouldn't be listening to any of this. FitzSimmons were mourning and she had no right to stand there and eavesdrop.

She suddenly understood Coulson and his dark face. He hadn't just lost a human being today: he had lost an asset and fellow SHIELD member. He must have thought of FitzSimmons too.

Those two had lost a teacher. A friend.

She heard a clink of glass and then she heard:

 

“ To Dr. Hall, the man that named our partnership.”

 

Skye hurried back to her bunk, feeling tears pricking her eyes. Sleep came very late that night...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, leave a comment...:)


	5. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is short..but I'll try to update as soon as possible.  
> Hope you guys like this
> 
> Thanks to my Beta StarryDreamer01 who helped me edit this.

* * *

Whoever thought that training early in the morning was legal should be shot.

Seriously...

 

Skye made her way to the kitchenette, freshly showered and muscles aching after her early morning training session with Ward. Her S.O had been kind enough to allow her to clean up first and have breakfast before going on with weapon training.

 

The joys of wanting to be a field agent: muscle strengthening and weapons training... all before eight o'clock.

 

Grumbling under her breath, Skye walked towards the kitchenette. Only to find FitzSimmons getting their breakfast ready.

She stopped on the spot, hidden by the shelves and doorway. Both scientists were too busy with their tasks to notice her, so she observed them.

Fitz was toasting bread and keeping an eye on the kettle on the stove. He arranged two mugs and two plates on the counter and opened the pantry to get a small box.

Simmons was by the stove, sizzling some bacon and scrambling eggs in two different pans. The smell reached Skye and made her stomach growl.

She had never been the type for big breakfasts: she hardly cooked and was all for quick meals. Her ideal breakfast was cold cereal -sugary stuff usually- and coffee. And if she remembered to buy the groceries, she would add a banana or an apple.

But the scent coming from the kitchenette made her realise that a nice hot meal wouldn't be a bad way to start the day...

Fitz opened the small box and rifled through the little tea bags before picking two and putting the box away. He brushed past Simmons, shoulders and arms touching for a second before going back to the toaster. Simmons barely glanced at him and then got the plates to put the hot food on them.

The scene playing before her was so...domestic.

There was an ease in the scientists' actions that spoke of many days ( _years_ ) spent preparing breakfast together. Of knowing exactly each others tastes and favourites.

Skye saw Fitz take the kettle and drop the teabags in it and then gather sugar, honey and cream, laying the small containers near the mugs. She silently watched as Simmons dished out the food and noticed how  one portion was slightly larger than the other.

Skye had the feeling that Fitz liked to eat more...

As on cue, she saw the quick glance the biochemist shot at her partner -eyes darting towards him for a second as he stood by the toaster- and added the last bit of bacon on his plate before turning to wash the pans.

In perfect synchronization, just as she moved away from the plates, Fitz took them to lay the pieces of toast. Skye noticed how he smiled slightly at the plates and carefully deposited the pieces of bread on them. She saw how the ones that were more charred, almost black in some points, were on Fitz's plate while Simmons' toast was crispy at the perfect point.

 

Skye wondered, for the hundredth time since she met them, if these two were really only partners and friends or if there was something else between them.

 

These little things they did for each were so... sweet and coupley.

 

Hell, Miles had never been so sweet with her and they had been together for years.

 

Skye found herself a little bit jealous. FitzSimmons shared something so deep... and she envied them. She didn’t have anything of that sort with anyone.

 

Realising that she had been standing _-hiding_ actually- for a while and that she still had to have breakfast, Skye walked into the kitchenette.

FitzSimmons turned as one.

“Good morning, Skye,” Simmons said, smiling widely as she put away the washed and dried pans.

“Morning, Skye,” Fitz greeted her with a small nervous smile as he poured tea into the mugs.

“Hey, FitzSimmons,” she replied with a smile. “Smells good...”

“Oh, we got up early today,” Simmons explained, moving to a side of the table where the plates were and sat down. “We thought that a hearty breakfast would be nice.”

“Right,” Fitz agreed, handing her a mug, smiling when she thanked him softly. “And we've got plenty of work in the lab today so lunch might be delayed..”

“Do you want anything? I can make something quickly...”

“Toast, tea?”

“No, thanks,” Skye grinned at them. “Ill just put the coffee on and eat my cereal. I'm not used to big breakfasts. And I _really_ need coffee. Don't know how you Brits get by drinking only tea.”

 

Her tone was teasing and light but she had to ignore the little twist in her stomach.

She seriously had to stop feeling touched when these two nerd scientists were so kind with her...

 

Skye poured some cereal in a bowl and then added some milk before finding a spoon and joining them at the table. The coffee would be ready in a while.

She saw the engineer put three spoons of sugar into his tea -someone liked drinking his tea sweet- while the biochemist had hers with a spoon of honey and a small spoon of cream.

She watched as Fitz devoured his food while Simmons ate slowly.

She noticed the quick glance they shared, some silent conversation that only they could understand took place in front of her for a moment -it almost looked as though they were thanking each other- before they looked at her and asked about her training.

 

As she answered, complaining about her S.O and all the muscle training she had to do, she had a constant thought.

 

There was something going on there...

 

There had to be.

  
  


She just had to observe them better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, leave a comment... :)


	6. Eye Spy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I really wanted to know how FitzSimmons and Skye dealt with Akela Amador running them over with her van. I was so disappointed not to see the scene on the show. Here's my take on it.. ;)  
> Hope you guys like it... 
> 
> Thanks to my Beta StarryDreamer01 who helped me edit this.

* * *

Skye didn't imagine that she would learn what being run over by a van would mean.

  
Ever.

 

So when she failed -miserably, she had to admit it- to use the gun and shoot, she just watched as Akela Amador stared at her while speeding towards the van.

She knew that the hit would be hard but she didn't realise just _how_ hard.

She literally flew onto the other seat, shoulder slamming against the door.

And then the van started to turn. With dizzy eyes, she watched the rooftop shift position.

She started turning and moving but fear didn't even come. It all happened so quickly that she found herself upside down and squashed against the seat and door before she realised what had happened.

 

And then it was a tide of feelings.

 

Fear and panic flooded her veins as she heard the sound of tires on gravel.

Was Amador going to finish the job? She had just knocked the Short Bus down a small ravine; she could easily come over and shoot them down.

She had, after all, killed dozens of people in a crowded subway. What would killing three, harmless non-field agents be for her?

 

Skye's eyes widened as realisation hit her.

 

_FitzSimmons._

 

They were in the back of the van. Along with all the equipment. _Metal cases full of material_.

Skye sat up straighter, expecting pain somewhere, but her body seemed to be fine. Scrambling up to her feet, she stood in silence, listening carefully.

 

She didn't hear a sound. Concentrating, she heard the faint noise of a car moving away from her.

Heart pounding in her chest in a mix of relief and fear, Skye turned around to look at the back of the van.

 

“FitzSimmons?” She called, heart lodged in her throat as she took in the mess of boxes, wires and shelves. “Are you guys ok?”

For one moment, she didn't hear anything and panic flooded her veins: scenarios of them being hurt, of wounds and blood and situations where she couldn't help them filled her mind.

 

She was about to move into the mess when she heard a groan. And a curse muttered in Scottish.

 

Fitz.

 

Skye breathed in relief and squinted in the semi-darkness that was the back of the van. She located him somewhere next to the doors, sprawled on his back, one hand over his head while the other was curved around a mass of brown hair. Said mass moved and she heard a soft whimper.

 

Simmons.

 

_Oh thank God_... they were both alive.

 

“You guys ok?” Skye asked again, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. She realised that they had taken cover in a corner right behind the table. It had shielded them from most of the equipment that had collapsed.

As she got a good look at them, Skye realised that Fitz had shielded Simmons during the fall: her body was almost covered by his.

 

So the engineer had a bit of a chivalrous streak....or maybe it was only protectiveness towards his partner.

 

“Skye?” Simmons said in confusion, twisting to look at her. The hacker saw her wince slightly as she slowly got to her feet, disentangling herself from Fitz. As soon as she was standing, she held out her hand and Fitz took it, getting up as well.

Seeing that they were all unharmed, just a bit battered and shaky, Skye felt her heart beat normally again.

“I think I heard her van go away,” she remarked, walking through the collapsed equipment and material and approaching FitzSimmons. Skye touched the door and it swung open, metal bent oddly at its side.

As soon as they were all outside, she saw just how lucky they had been. The ravine was short and clustered by bushes: the van's fall had been cushioned.

 

She really didn't want to imagine what would have happened otherwise...

 

“We should call Coulson and Ward,” she remarked and turned around. “Tell them what hap-”

She stopped talking and stared.

FitzSimmons weren't even listening to her: they were staring at each other.

Skye watched as Simmons' fingers rested on Fitz's shirt cuff and her eyes roamed over him, up and down, eyes clear and focused. Fitz was doing the same though he wasn't touching her.

She didn't miss the glint of concern in their eyes.

 

She wondered if they both dealing with some sort of post-traumatic shock. Being rolled over by a van could shock you quite a bit...

If they hugged each other, or started crying or...anything, Skye would be in a very embarrassing position.

 

Skye suddenly realised that they were both checking for bruises or wounds on the other. Once the visual check-up was done, they looked at each other.

They had to share some sort of psychic link because they didn't talk or move or do _anything_ more than stare at each other for a minute before smiling slightly and turn to her as one.

“Are you alright, Skye?” Simmons asked and the hacker blinked dumbly, still trying to figure out the mystery that was FitzSimmons.

“Er-wha-” she stammered and then composed herself. “I mean.. yeah. Fine. Just fine.” Fine as one can be after being run over by a van.

Fitz peered into the Short Bus and frowned.

“Some of the equipment has been damaged,” he said, opening the doors wider. “Hopefully our laptops should be functioning.”

“Do you think Agent Coulson and Ward are on their way?” Simmons asked her.

  
  


Yeah, they hadn't been listening to her _at all_...

  
  


“We should call them,” Skye remarked. “Do you have the phone?”

Simmons handed it to her and the hacker walked around, trying to find cellular signal. Once she managed to call and informed AC and Ward about their encounter with Akela Amador, Skye glanced at her teammates.

FitzSimmons were rearranging their equipment. She saw how the methodically put away wires, cables and screens in those large metal cases they carried along.

She watched and saw how they worked in sync as usual, knowing exactly what went where...

 

As she put the phone away, she saw how Fitz noticed Simmons flinch when she moved her left arm and was immediately by her side. The biochemist shook her head, smiling, and murmured about a small bruise due to the fall.

As she helped them pick up their stuff, Skye noticed Fitz wince as he lifted a case; only then, both women noticed the small cut on his right hand, droplets of blood peering out of the wound.

Skye watched as Simmons drew out a handkerchief and carefully wrapped it around his hand.

She heard Fitz scoff.

“It's just a little cut,” he whispered. “You don't have to worry, Simmons.”

“You work with your hands, Fitz,” she retorted, knotting the impromptu bandage and shot him a look that ended any argument.

Simmons didn't see the small smile and look on Fitz's face as she turned to pack the other cases.

 

Skye did though.

 

And as  they were picked up by Ward and Coulson, she noticed how those two stood close to each other carrying their cases. She noticed how they seemed to take comfort in each other’s presence.

 

Once again, Skye wondered what really was there, between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, leave a comment... :)


	7. Apologies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short prompt for this collection. Sorry for the long wait but I'm considering this a sort of back-burner project and I write whenever I feel inspired for it.
> 
> This shot is more Skye-centric and takes place after the events of episode 1x05.  
> Hope you enjoy... :)
> 
> Thanks to StarryDreamer01 who has helped edit this.

 

* * *

_ Will they forgive her? _

 

She couldn't shake the question from her mind.

 

She had screwed up.

She had really,  _ really  _ screwed up.

 

It was a few days since they’d dealt with the girl in the flower dress and the Chinese fire-wielding man. A few days after the whole Team had learned that she was still with the Rising Tide. A few days after they’d learned about Miles (and she  _ didn't  _ want to think about him: his betrayal still stung...)

 

Coulson had allowed her to stay but she didn't know if it was a good idea now. He barely talked to her after he had shouted at her in his office and got out the truth of her search.

Skye played with the silver circlet on her wrist.

 

He gave her another chance but he didn't trust her completely.

 

But that was better than the silent treatment Ward was giving her. He barely acknowledged her besides giving her work as her S.O.

 

_ Read this. _

_ Do that. _

_ Twenty minutes of this. _

 

Nothing else.

 

_ She had really screwed up. _

 

She had started making her apologies yesterday, allowing her teammates to calm down a bit and giving herself some time to pull herself together.

Coulson had nodded after her speech. May had barely blinked. Ward didn't even look at her and left the room as soon as she finished talking.

 

It had been a  _ disaster _ .

 

And now...

 

Skye peered down the staircase and saw that the lab lights were still on. She had left FitzSimmons for last. She had thought that if everyone else on the Team wouldn't accept her apologies, the two scientists would.

They were... friends, right? Sort of...?

But now, after truly realising that her other teammates hadn't forgiven her, Skye was riddled with doubts. What if FitzSimmons gave her the cold shoulder?

What if they had stopped trusting her too?

Swallowing dryly, Skye rocked on the balls of her feet by the stairs, unsure of whether to go down or not. She felt like a kid in the orphanage again; the kid that didn't know how to make friends even though she desperately wanted to.

Sighing, she went downstairs to the cargo bay and stayed in the shadows as she peered through the glass doors.

FitzSimmons were bustling around the lab, talking to each other and putting their equipment away. They had been there the entire afternoon -Skye had seen them while she was training with Ward- and hadn't left until dinner.

She wondered what they were working on and mused over the fact that maybe it might be something not related to SHIELD. FitzSimmons shared a passion for science that allowed them to spend hours in the lab, speaking with words that no one but they could understand.

At the beginning, she had compared their link to her and Miles' but she quickly realised that she had been wrong the whole time.

She and Miles had met as hackers, became lovers and then went on with whatever was their relationship.

FitzSimmons were different. Their relationship was so deep... It was a series of layers: friendship, partnership and, maybe even a romance that the two genius scientists were too oblivious to see.

If even they refused her apologies, then all Skye had to do was leave.

Screw her search for her parents: she'd start again. But she couldn't stay there and suffer for the loss of the closest thing to a family that she'd ever had.

Fast and honest, Skye told herself.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped in front of the lab doors, making them open.

FitzSimmons stopped moving and talking and turned as one towards her. She could clearly see the confusion on their faces at her appearance.

Well, she couldn't blame them. She had barely talked to them since the Team had left Hong Kong.

“Hello, Skye,” Simmons greeted her with a smile.

“Hey, Skye,” Fitz said, putting down a few tools.

They stared at her, both smiling and waiting for her to speak. The hacker just stared at them, her prepared speech vanished from her mind.

  
She wanted to stay in the Team. She wanted to learn about SHIELD and become an agent. She wanted to learn about the Academy that the two talked about constantly and know more about their lives.

  
She wanted Coulson to trust her again.

She wanted Ward to treat her as he did before... She wanted to tease him while playing Battleship again.

 

Skye saw the smiles on FitzSimmons' faces falter and they shared an uncertain look. She balled her fists by her sides.

 

She didn't want FitzSimmons to treat her differently as well...

 

“I'm sorry!” she blurted out, startling the scientists who jumped slightly.

“Wha-?” “What are you talkin-?”

“No, listen,” Skye cutting through their stunned queries. If they stopped her, she'd never get the nerve to say anything. “I-I'm sorry for everything. I shouldn't ha-have broken the Team's trust. Your trust. I know that I was from Rising Tide and you already gave me a chance by taking me in... and I screwed up. And I know that it will take you a while to trust me again but... but it won't happen again. Ever again.” She swallowed the lump in her throat, fighting against a sudden tingling in her eyes.

She was not going to cry. She had cried in her bunk, burying her face in her pillow for hours. She was  _ not  _ going to cry now.

FitzSimmons didn't say anything and just stared at her. Skye bit her lip, wondering if she was going to hit another wall of indifference, when Simmons turned to Fitz and then looked at her with a smile.

“Skye, it's alright,” she said gently. “We accept your apology.”

“R-really?” The hacker stared at the biochemist and she nodded.

Of course we do,” Simmons turned to her partner. “Right, Fitz?”

“Y-yeah...” The engineer smiled slightly. “Well, we don't know why you did it... but-” He looked at Simmons. “-we also don't know what you must have gone through so... we can't judge like that. And you apologized... so...”

Skye was speechless and just stared. Simmons, on the other hand, beamed at Fitz; the man ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

Skye wondered if FitzSimmons had talked about her, at some point, wondering about her actions and if she deserved to be there.

For some reason, these two scientists believed in her.

“Thank you...” The words tumbled out of Skye's mouth before she could stop them. She was too relieved.

Fitz grinned at her and glanced at Simmons who was smiling broadly.

For the first time in days, Skye felt the weight in the pit of her stomach lessen.

“Oh!” Simmons perked up. “Skye, do you have plans for the night?”

“Er-” The hacker shook her head. She honestly thought that she'd be packing her bags and asked to leave tonight... “No?”

“That's wonderful!” Simmons turned to Fitz. “Right?”

Fitz looked at her for a moment and nodded, grinning.

“Why is it wonderful?” Skye asked at loss as she saw FitzSimmons doing their mind-talking-thing again.

“We were planning to watch a film-” Fitz started.

“-or a Tv-series,” Simmons completed. “We haven't quite decided yet. Would you like to join?”

“What?” Skye blinked. “You... want me to join you?”

“Yeah, it will be fun,” Fitz said, putting away the tools he had previously dropped on the desk. “I was suggesting we start watching the first trilogy of Star Wars-”

“ -but we’ve seen that countless times and Fitz will start commenting  _ and  _ complaining-,” Simmons remarked with an eye roll. “-about the inaccurate mechanics.”

“ That's not-” Fitz started to protest and Simmons looked at him with a raised brow. “Alright, maybe it  _ is _ true...”

“Or we could watch a few episode of Dr. Who-”

“ -that we've watched  _ countless  _ times as well.”

“Dr. Who?” Skye asked, smiling at the constant dialogue exchange between the two scientists.

FitzSimmons turned to her as one.

“ _ You don't _ -?”

“ - _ know Dr. Who? _ ”  The two scientists had a scandalised look.

“Nope...?” Skye replied and jumped when Simmons clapped her hands together in a business-like manner and turned to the engineer.

“Fitz.”

“Got it.” He put his lab coat on his chair. “I'll go get the DVDs and prepare the television set. Simmons, will you-”

“-get your bowl of popcorn, ready? Yes. And I'll make up some other refreshments too.”

“Woah... Guys?” Skye waved at them but FitzSimmons were too busy planning up.

“Come on, Skye,” Simmons said, draping her lab coat over her chair. “We've got to educate you on Dr Who.”

“Take it as a... team bonding exercise,” Fitz remarked as they all left the lab.

“Team bonding?” Skye repeated, trying not to sound too excited that she was still considered part of the Team.

“Yeah...” FitzSimmons grinned at her and they headed upstairs.

Skye watched them with a smile as they bickered about which episodes they should watch.

  
  


For the first time in her life, she realised that she might have found some true friends.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, leave a comment... :)


	8. Their Lab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little one-shot in Skye’s POV after the events of FZZT. Hope you guys like it. :)
> 
> Thanks to StarryDreamer01 who has helped edit this.

* * *

Skye was half-sitting, half-lying in the SUV, laptop on her knees with some soft music playing. She had told AC that this was the best place for her to get some privacy, weeks ago, and no one had come to look for her when she’d disappeared from her room.

 

Now, however, she wasn't relaxing: she was waiting.

 

She leaned forward and looked at the front of the cargo bay. The SUV’s windows were tinted so nobody would notice her staring at the empty lab.

She checked the time: it was almost nine o'clock. FitzSimmons were usually in the lab by this time...

But then again, they might be taking it easy this morning...

Skye stared at the dark, empty lab and felt something clench in her chest.

 

Simmons had almost died yesterday.

She had been infected by an alien virus and had a few hours to find a way to cure herself.

 

Skye put her laptop on the seat and sighed slightly.

It was the first time since she'd joined the team that one of their own was in danger. And the fact that the one in question had been Simmons  -smiling, sweet, overly-polite and caring Simmons- made it all worse.

Skye didn't want to see her pale and tearful face again. She didn't want to have to watch her work restlessly to save her life and then decide to end it when she realised that she could endanger all of them.

 

Simmons had jumped out of the Bus -she had jumped out of a  _ freaking  _ plane- to save them.

 

Skye liked the biochemist despite her incredible eagerness towards science and the fact that she didn't understand half of the things she talked about. She had started to become her friend but Skye never thought that she'd have it in her to do something so... brave.

 

Simmons had been  _ incredibly  _ brave and selfless.

 

And it scared Skye to death because she realised that the smiling English girl could have easily disappeared from her life without giving her a chance to get to know her better and really appreciate her.

 

That was why she ran and hugged her as soon as she saw her. She wasn't going to take her for granted and was going to get to know her better. They'd become real friends.

Skye liked the team and this strange little family that she'd acquired by chance.

She didn't want to lose anyone...

 

So that's what brought her to sit alone inside the SUV, waiting for Simmons to get down to the lab. Skye wanted to be there in case she- 

Honestly, she just wanted to be there. Just in case.

 

Skye heard footsteps and promptly closed her laptop and peaked outside, hoping that it wasn't Ward looking for her to start her morning training. She really didn't want to start the routine of crunches, pull-ups and push-ups even though, a part of her didn't mind since he was talking to her again...

 

Simmons appeared at the end of the staircase, looking as normal as ever in her jeans, converse and blouse. Skye wondered how she could look so...  _ normal  _ after almost dying.

The biochemist's eyes wondered around the cargo bay, taking in the SUV and the closed ramp but not lingering on anything and clearly not seeing Skye huddled inside the car.

Her eyes then went to the dark,empty lab and the hacker was sure that she saw the other girl stiffen. Then, she saw the way her features fell slightly, making her look sad in a way that made Skye's insides clench.

Seeing the usually smiling scientist with that look was really horrible.

Skye waited in silence, expecting another set of footsteps and another scientist to appear... but nothing happened. Simmons stood in front of the lab, staring at the closed doors with her back straight. Alone.

 

Where the heck was Fitz?

 

Skye hadn't seen the man after finding him by the cargo ramp after Simmons jumped. She had rushed after Ward and found Fitz staring at the open ramp with a devastated look that she hoped to never see again.

 

He looked lost.

 

When she asked him what had happened, he managed to stammer that the antiserum worked but that Simmons had knocked him out and had lowered the ramp; by the time he had recovered, she was going to jump.

Fitz had looked away at that point and Skye had waited and not asked questions because his face looked tortured. She could barely imagine what it felt like to see one of your friends -best friend or more in his case- on the verge of killing herself.

Then, he'd mumbled that Ward had taken the parachute and antiserum from him and jumped after her before rushing upstairs.

Skye barely had time to process his words before she followed him and they spent hours, scouring for information on the Internet as Coulson and May used their influence to speak with anyone that could let them know if their teammates had survived.

Skye didn't want to live that moment again. Knowing that Simmons had jumped had been bad but then waiting to know if Ward had reached her in time? Not knowing if  _ either  _ had survived?

 

She still felt dread at the thought...

 

Fitz had been quiet the entire time and had just waited for news while he worked restlessly on the holotable. When Coulson declared that they were fine and that the Moroccan agents had found them floating in the sea, Fitz had visibly sagged in relief and then, before anyone could stop him, he walked out and disappeared in his room.

 

Skye watched Simmons as she stood in front of the lab, looking clearly torn between going in and going upstairs and wondered if Fitz was going through his own tormented thoughts.

Simmons had been infected, trapped in the lab and then jumped off the plane but Fitz had to watch all of this. Skye had watched the video feed while she and Ward had been wondering in the Bus as they waited for Simmons to come up with a cure for herself; she had heard them argue about joining the Team.

Could this have been the last straw for Fitz? Would he want to leave?

Skye stared at the biochemist who had her hands clenched in tights fists by her sides and a pained but firm look on her face. Skye felt a flair of pity towards her. Maybe she should get out and help her somehow...

The lights in the lab turned on suddenly and Skye jumped and had to clap her hand on her mouth to muffle the shriek that came out as she hit the car roof.

Thankfully, Simmons had jumped too and gasped loudly, not hearing her.

 

What the  _ hell  _ had happened to her old, super-spy snooping abilities that had allowed her to sneak cookies and candies at the orphanage?

 

Muttering to herself about having gone soft, Skye peered out and saw Fitz standing in the lab, wearing his lab coat over his usual attire.

Okay... when did he get there? She had been in the car for almost an hour and she hadn't-

 

“Fitz?” Simmons voice echoed in the silent cargo bay. She sounded just as surprised as Skye was.

“Hey...” He smiled and approached her but he stopped at the lab doors.

“What....?” Simmons took a tentative step forward so that she was standing closer to him but still not inside the lab.

“Coulson said that we're off-duty today but-” Fitz shot his partner a crooked smile. “-I knew that you'd come down nevertheless.”

“There's no off-duty for scientists, Fitz,” Simmons remarked, rolling her eyes and smiled slightly. Skye realised that her stance wasn't rigid anymore. “What are you doing? In the dark?”

Fitz stared at her and Skye thought that she saw something in the way he looked at Simmons. She had always been puzzling about their interactions and relationship but right now, as she watched him, Skye was sure that Fitz' feelings for his partner were deep.

“I-well...” He scratched the back of his neck. Simmons stared at him but didn't move.

“Fitz?”

“I thought that I could clean the lab.. You know, tidy it up a bit.”

“In the dark?”

“The video feed starts as soon as the lights are on,” Fitz pointed to a camera over his head. “Coulson would have known immediately so-”

“You waited to turn it on until you were sure that he was in his office,” Simmons completed. Skye had to admit that the engineer's words did make sense although...

“I didn't see you,” Simmons remarked, taking another step forward but still not going inside the lab. Skye suddenly realised that Fitz was still standing inside and didn't get closer to her.

It looked as though...  _ Oh _ .

Skye swallowed a lump in her throat, realising what the engineer was waiting for his partner to get inside on her own.

“I wanted our lab to be tidy, as usual, so I came here early and cleaned it up,” Fitz said. “Then I went and tidied the storage and started an inventory of the supplies. I kept checking if you were out here...”

“You hate cleaning and doing the inventory,” Simmons stated and he shrugged. “Fitz...”

Skye watched in silence as the biochemist approached her partner, standing at the threshold of the lab and sideways to him. He just looked at her.

It wasn't the first time that the hacker felt like she was intruding in a moment between FitzSimmons but right now, she felt as though she was watching something very personal.

Fitz turned slightly and picked another lab coat from a chair behind him: Simmons' lab coat.

“I-I can't cancel what happened, Jemma,” he said and the biochemist's eyes widened slightly. Skye wondered if it was because he was using her given name. “But... I can try to make things go back... to normal.” He gestured towards the now clean and tidy lab. Simmons just stared at him as he held the lab coat to her.

“It's still our lab, no?” He sounded hopeful and a bit cautious when he asked her.

Skye could see a myriad emotions flitting through Simmons' face and she recalled another moment when she'd seen that look.

Yesterday, when Fitz had marched into the lab with the Chitauri helmet and didn't care about getting infected; when he'd helped Simmons make the antiserum that saved her life.

If Simmons had been incredibly brave to decide to jump off the plane, Fitz had been equally brave to get inside the lab without being sure that he'd be alright afterwards.

Skye realised that Fitz would have done anything to save Simmons. She didn't know if it was just friendship or more but the bond they shared was strong. So strong to make him almost jump from the plane after her or rush into the lab, risking infection.

Or going into the same lab, the day after, to make it seem as though nothing had happened so that his partner wouldn't be too scared and traumatised about it.

Fitz knew that Simmons would have trouble getting back inside the lab and he tried to help her by doing what he could. But Skye realised that he was probably traumatised in the same way and yet... he'd done it the same.

Simmons must have been thinking on the same lines because she kept staring at him, eyes wide and glassy. Fitz looked at her in confusion and his hand shook slightly, making the lab coat waver between them.

“Simmons?” He looked as though he was scared to ask her anything else and that snapped the biochemist out of her stupor.

“Of course, it is,” she finally replied, stepping into the lab and smiling at her partner before taking her lab coat and putting it on. “It will always be our lab, Fitz.”

Fitz stared and then grinned at her.

On the other hand, Skye was close to jumping out of the SUV and hug the life out of the two scientists who clearly cared more for each other than for themselves.

Instead she hugged the car seat as she watched FitzSimmons walk into the lab and turn on their equipment and computers, already discussing of what they'd work on during the day-off.

 

Only those two nerds would love science to the point of working on a free day.

 

But that's what made them FitzSimmons.

 

She stayed in the SUV until they both left for the storage room and then sneaked out and left the cargo bay and went upstairs. She'd go back down to see them in later.

 

They were both doing well now.

They had each other and their lab.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, leave a comment... :)


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